From ancient times to the present, taboos have affected our societies, as demonstrated in this encyclopedia full of unusual information from around the world.

The topic of taboos has rarely been discussed in any comprehensive way in recent years, as though the word itself has become taboo in our efforts to dispel the myth of the irrationality of supposedly 'primitive' cultures. The Encyclopedia of Taboos is a mine of unusual information from around the world, including a comprehensive analysis of individual taboos from the ancient world to the present day, covering both well- and lesser-known examples.

The A-Z articles cover the topics naturally associated with the concept of taboo--incest, cannibalism, pollution, food, art, dress, sex, and death--and also the foremost writers on the subject, including Sigmund Freud, Mary Douglas, Edmund Leach, Franz Steiner, and Frederick Barth.